JPH0131372B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mobile medical examination vehicle loaded with a radiographic apparatus and moved to various locations for medical examinations.

Certain types of fluorophores are exposed to radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays,
When irradiated with γ-rays, ultraviolet rays, etc., part of the energy of this radiation is accumulated in the phosphor, and then when the phosphor is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light,
The phosphor exhibits stimulated luminescence depending on the accumulated energy. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is called a stimulable phosphor.

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation image information of the human body, etc. is recorded on a sheet of stimulable phosphor,
A method has been proposed in which this is scanned with excitation light to cause stimulated luminescence, the stimulated luminescent light is read out photoelectrically to obtain an image signal, and this image signal is processed to obtain an image suitable for diagnosis. (For example, JP-A-55-12429
No. 56-11395, No. 55-163472, No. 56-
(No. 104645, No. 55-116340, etc.) This final image may be reproduced as a hard copy or on a CRT. anyway,
In such a radiation image information recording and reproducing method, a stimulable phosphor sheet (strictly speaking, this can take various forms such as a panel or a drum, but is collectively called a ``sheet'') '') ultimately does not record image information,
Since this stimulable phosphor sheet temporarily carries image information in order to provide an image to the final recording medium as described above, it may be used repeatedly, and it may be used repeatedly. It is extremely economical to use.

In order to reuse the stimulable phosphor sheet as described above, the radiation energy accumulated in the stimulable phosphor sheet after the stimulated luminescence light is read can be used as described in, for example, JP-A-56-11392. The stimulable phosphor sheet may be emitted to erase the radiation image by a method such as that shown in No. 56-12599, and the stimulable phosphor sheet may be used again for recording radiation images. In the actual device, the stimulable phosphor sheet after the reading is completed is supplied to an image erasing device by a conveying means such as a belt conveyor, and here the stimulable phosphor sheet from which the radiation image has been erased is further transferred to the image erasing device. It is also possible to save labor by sending the image back to the image recording section using a conveying means such as .

The radiation image information recording and reproducing method using a storage phosphor in this manner is particularly effective when used for medical diagnosis. In other words, this method can obtain radiographic image information suitable for the diagnostic structure by performing various signal processing on electrical signals, and also by adjusting the reading gain of the photodetector during photoelectric conversion. It has great advantages over conventional radiographic methods that use silver salt emulsions, such as the ability to significantly reduce radiation exposure.

Therefore, examinations using this radiation image information recording and reproducing method are carried out not only at hospitals and other medical institutions, but also at various locations using mobile examination vehicles loaded with equipment, such as conventional X-ray indirect imaging vehicles. It is hoped that However, in this method of recording and reproducing radiographic image information, each large stimulable phosphor sheet is used to record radiographic image information, which makes the radiographic work complicated, and furthermore, it requires a mobile medical examination vehicle. In order to examine a subject using a mobile examination vehicle, this large sheet must be loaded onto a mobile examination vehicle and carried around, which naturally limits the examination processing capacity of the mobile examination vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile medical examination vehicle in which the medical examination processing capacity by the radiation image information recording and reproducing method described above is significantly improved, and furthermore, radiography work is easy. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile medical examination vehicle which has improved examination processing capacity as described above and which also makes it possible to immediately produce diagnostic results at the examination site.

The mobile medical examination vehicle of the present invention has an image recording section that fixes a recording body made of a stimulable phosphor layer on a support, irradiates the recording body with radiation through the subject, and accumulates and records a radiographic image of the subject. an image reading section having a photoelectric reading means for scanning the recording body with excitation light and reading the emitted stimulated luminescence light to obtain an image signal; A radiographic image information recording/reading device comprising an erasing means and a means for circulating the recording body on the support body relative to the image recording section, the image reading section, and the image erasing section is mounted on a bus, for example. It is loaded onto a vehicle such as the following.

In the radiation image information recording/reading device having the above structure, the recording medium is circulated and reused while the radiation image is erased in the mobile medical examination vehicle, so one stimulable phosphor sheet is handled for one imaging. There is no need, and the screening throughput can be increased virtually unlimitedly.

The image signal obtained by the reading means is sent to a reproduction device (such as a hard copy production device or CRT) installed in a hospital etc. using a telephone line or wireless.
real-time transmission to display devices such as
A specialist can also observe this reproduced image, fold the diagnosis results, and report them to the mobile examination vehicle. It is also possible, of course, to transmit the image signal to a hospital, etc., record this image signal once on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, or optical disk, and later obtain a reproduced image for diagnosis. . If the image signal is transmitted outside the examination vehicle in this way, and the image signal is recorded or reproduced at a hospital, etc.,
The number of devices loaded on the mobile medical examination vehicle can be reduced.

However, when using a car with a large loading capacity, it is of course possible to load a recording device using the above-mentioned recording medium or a small playback device into the examination vehicle. By loading the reproducing device into a medical examination vehicle and having a specialist accompany the vehicle, it is naturally possible to notify the diagnostic results to the vehicle to be examined immediately at the radiography site. Furthermore, since the recording medium described above can be made compact and record an extremely large amount of information, even if an image signal recording device using this type of recording medium is loaded on a medical examination vehicle, it will not be possible to use a large-sized (e.g. Compared to storing and recording radiographic images on each stimulable phosphor sheet (like the size of a conventional X-ray film cassette) and then transporting it to a medical institution, the processing capacity for medical examinations is lower compared to the weight of the loading device. is significantly increased.

In the present invention, a storage phosphor refers to a phosphor that, when irradiated with radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, ultraviolet rays, etc.), accumulates a portion of this radiation energy inside and then emits visible light. When irradiated with excitation light such as light,
A substance that has the property of emitting stimulated luminescence light in an amount that corresponds to the amount of accumulated energy.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the wavelength region of the excitation light and the wavelength region of the stimulated luminescent light do not overlap in order to improve the S/N ratio, and the excitation light source and the stimulable fluorescent light are selected so as to satisfy such a relationship. It is preferable to choose a light body. Specifically, the excitation light wavelength is
450-700nm, the wavelength of stimulated luminescence light is 300-500n
It is desirable to make it m.

As described above, examples of stimulable phosphors that emit stimulated luminescent light of 300 to 500 nm and can be preferably used in the present invention include rare earth element-activated alkaline earth metal fluorohalide phosphors [specifically, ,
(Ba _1-xy , Mg _x , Ca _y )FX described in JP-A-55-12143: aEu ²⁺ (However,
and Br, x and y are 0<x+y≦0.6 and xy≠0, and a
is 10 ^-6 ≦a≦5×10 ^-2 ), - Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-
Described in Publication No. 12145 (Ba _1-x , M〓 _x )
FX: yA (However, M〓 is Mg, Ca, Sr, Zn and Cd
at least one of the following, X is Cl, Br and at least one of the following, A is Eu, Tb, Ce,
At least one of Tm, Dy, Pr, Ho, Nd, Yb and Er, x is 0≦x≦0.6, y is 0≦y
≦0.2); ZnS: Cu, Pb, BaO x Al ₂ O ₃ : Eu
(however, 0.8≦x≦10) and M〓O・xSiO ₂ :A (however, M〓 is Mg, Ca, Sr, Zn, Cd or Ba,
A is Ce, Tb, Eu, Tm, Pb, Tl, Bi or Mn
and x is 0.5≦x≦2.5); and LnOX:xA described in JP-A-55-12144 (however, Ln is at least one of La, Y, Gd, and Lu, and X is at least one of Cl and Br
1, A is at least one of Ce and Tb;
x is 0<x<0.1); Among these, rare earth element-activated alkaline earth metal fluorohalide phosphors are preferred, and among these, barium fluorohalides shown as specific examples are particularly preferred because of their excellent stimulable luminescence.

Furthermore, metal fluorides are added to barium fluorohalide phosphors as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 56-2385 and 56-2386, or as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 150873-1982. As described above, the addition of at least one of a metal chloride, a metal bromide, and a metal iodide is preferable because the stimulated luminescence is further improved.

Further, as disclosed in JP-A-55-163500, when the phosphor layer of a stimulable phosphor plate prepared using the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor is colored with a pigment or dye, This is preferable because the sharpness of the finally obtained image is improved.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention. The mobile medical examination vehicle 50 of this embodiment is constructed by loading a radiographic image information recording/reading device 20 and an image signal recording device 30, which will be described later, on a vehicle 40, such as a bus, for example.

In the radiation image information recording/reading apparatus 20, an endless conveyor 1 such as a belt conveyor or chain conveyor is used as a support for fixing the stimulable phosphor plate (recording body). On this conveyor 1, three stimulable phosphor plates 2 are fixed at equal intervals from each other. The conveyor 1 that fixes the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow in the figure by the drive roller 3, which is hung between a drive roller 3 and a driven roller 4 and rotated by a drive device (not shown). It is possible to drive. A driven roller 4 and a driving roller 3 are located near the driven roller 4.
A radiation source 5 is disposed opposite the conveyor 1 stretched between. This radiation source 5 is composed of, for example, an X-ray source, and transmits a transmitted radiation image of a subject 6 placed between the stimulable phosphor plate 2 and this radiation source 5 onto the stimulable phosphor plate 2. to project. Near the drive roller 3, there is an excitation light source 7 that emits excitation light such as a laser beam, and an optical deflector such as a galvanometer mirror that scans the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 7 in the width direction of the conveyor 1. 8, and a photodetector 9 for reading stimulated luminescence light emitted by the stimulable phosphor plate 2 excited by the excitation light. The photodetector 9 is, for example, a head-on type photomultiplier tube, a photoelectron amplification channel plate, or the like, and photoelectrically detects the stimulated luminescence light guided by the light transmission means 10. An erasing light source 11 is provided at a position facing the conveyor 1 on the side opposite to the side where the aforementioned radiation source 5, excitation light source 7, photodetector 9, etc. are provided. This erasing light source 11 is a stimulable phosphor plate 2.
The radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is released by irradiating the phosphor plate with light in the excitation wavelength range. A tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp, a laser light source, etc. as shown in the above issue may be arbitrarily selected and used. Note that the radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor plate 2 can be
12599, it can also be emitted by heating the stimulable phosphor plate;
The erasing light source 11 may be replaced by heating means. A cylindrical cleaning roller 12 is located at a position facing the driven roller 4 across the conveyor 1.
is provided. This cleaning roller 12
is rotated counterclockwise in the figure by a drive device (not shown), and the phosphor removes dirt and dust adhering to the surface of the stimulable phosphor plate 2 that moves while contacting the cleaning roller 12. It is intended to be removed from the surface of the plate, and if necessary, it may be formed to adsorb the dirt and dust using electrostatic phenomena.

Regarding the material, structure, and usage of the light transmission means 10, please refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 55-87970 and 56-11397.
No. 56-11396, No. 56-11394, No. 56-
The methods and methods disclosed in No. 11398, No. 56-11395, etc. can be used as they are.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment having the above structure will be explained below. Conveyor 1 has drive roller 3
As a result, 1/3 of its total length is sent intermittently.
Here, the stop position of the conveyor 1 is set so that one stimulable phosphor plate 2 faces the radiation source 5 when the conveyor stops. When the conveyor 1 is stopped, a radiation source 5 is turned on, and a transmitted radiation image of a subject 6 is stored and recorded on a stimulable phosphor plate 2 that is stopped at a position facing the radiation source 5. After radiographic image recording is completed, the conveyor 1 is moved by 1/3 of a revolution and then stopped. Then, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 on which the radiation image is recorded is transferred to the optical deflector 8 described above.
It stops at a position facing the photodetector 9, etc. The stimulable phosphor plate 2 stopped at this position is scanned by excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 7. The excitation light is scanned in the width direction of the conveyor 1 by the optical deflector 8 (main scanning), and a stage (not shown) fixes the excitation light source 7, the optical deflector 8, the photodetector 9, and the optical transmission means 10. 2) is moved in the length direction of the conveyor 1, and thereby scanned also in the length direction of the conveyor 1 (sub-scanning). A stage that moves as described above can be easily formed using a known linear movement mechanism. When irradiated with the excitation light, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 emits stimulated light according to the image information stored and recorded. This stimulated luminescent light is input to the photodetector 9 via the light transmission means 10, and the photodetector 9 outputs an electrical image signal corresponding to the radiation image stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor plate 2. Output. When the image is read in this way, the conveyor 1 is further moved 1/3 of the way and stopped, and the stimulable phosphor plate 2 on which the image has been read is moved.
stops facing the erasing light source 11. The stimulable phosphor plate 2 stopped at this position is the erasing light source 11
The radiation energy remaining after the reading operation, the radiation emitted from radioactive isotopes such as ²⁶⁶ Ra and ⁴⁰ K contained in small amounts in the storage phosphor, or the radiation energy caused by environmental radiation. discharge. Therefore, the radiation image formed on the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is erased, and if the device has not been used for a long time, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 Radiation energy based on the radiation from radioactive isotopes or environmental radiation accumulated in the system is also released and returned to a reusable state. Next, the conveyor 1 is moved by 1/3 of a turn, and the stimulable phosphor plate 2 that has been erased is sent to a position facing the radiation source 5, but during the movement, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is It is swept by a cleaning roller 12 to remove fine dirt and dust from the surface. The stimulable phosphor plate 2 from which the radiation image has been erased and dirt and dust have been removed in this way is transferred to the radiation source 5.
It is sent to a position opposite to the radiograph and reused for radiographic image recording.

As described above, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is erased and cleaned by the erasing light source 11 and the cleaning roller 12 while being recycled and reused. Considering one stimulable phosphor plate 2, this phosphor plate undergoes image recording, image reading, and image erasing processes over time as the conveyor 1 travels once, as explained above. Of course, when the conveyor 1 is stopped, the above-mentioned processing may be performed simultaneously and in parallel on each of the three stimulable phosphor plates 2. Naturally, this will improve image processing speed.

In the above embodiment, the stimulable phosphor plate 2
is fixed to an endless conveyor 1 and reused by circulating this conveyor 1, unlike the case where sheet-shaped stimulable phosphors are conveyed one by one. There is little risk of damage to the storage fluorescer. The mechanism for circulating the stimulable phosphor plate 2 can also be constructed from a simple conveyor mechanism, so it can be easily designed and manufactured. In addition, since the three stimulable phosphor plates 2 are always recycled and reused in a fixed order, a homogeneous reproduced image without variations among the sheets can be obtained.

The electrical image signal output from the photodetector 9 is recorded on an image signal recording device 30. Various types of known image signal recording devices can be used as the image signal recording device 30. For example, a device that digitizes the signal and records it on a high-density recording medium such as a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk is preferable. The patient's identification number and the like are recorded on the recording medium of the image signal recording device 30 in association with the image signal, and the patient is brought to a medical institution such as a hospital by the mobile examination vehicle 50. At this medical institution,
Put the recording medium on a playback device and play it as a hard copy.
Obtain a reproduced image on a CRT display. The specialist makes a diagnosis based on this reproduced image and notifies each subject of the findings.

As already mentioned, instead of the image signal recording 30, the vehicle 40 is equipped with a transmission device for transmitting electrical image signals to a remote location, for example, by telephone line, radio, etc.
The image signal may be recorded at a hospital or the like far from the radiation imaging site, or a reproduced image may be immediately obtained from this image signal and the diagnosis result may be transmitted back to the mobile examination vehicle 50. Furthermore, a small reproducing device such as a CRT display device may be loaded on the mobile medical examination vehicle 50 so that the reproduced image can be immediately observed at the radiography site.

In addition, since there is no need to handle the sheet-like stimulable phosphor for each radiographing, the radiographing work becomes very easy.

It should be noted that prior to reproducing a radiation image, it is possible to perform signal processing on the image signal to enhance the image, change the contrast, etc., and in order to obtain a radiation image with excellent diagnostic performance, such It is desirable to perform appropriate signal processing. Desirable signal processing used in the present invention includes JP-A No. 55-87970, JP-A No. 56-11038, and JP-A No. 56-11038.
No. 75137, No. 56-75139, No. 56-75141, No. 56
−Frequency processing disclosed in JP-A No. 104645, etc., JP-A No. 55-116339, JP-A No. 55-116340, JP-A No. 55-88740
For example, the gradation processing disclosed in No.

In the above embodiment, the sub-scanning for reading the radiation image is performed by moving the excitation light irradiation system and the photostimulation light reading system with respect to the stopped stimulable phosphor plate 2. However, on the contrary, the excitation light irradiation system and the photostimulation light reading system may be fixed and sub-scanning may be performed by moving the stimulable phosphor plate. In order to move the stimulable phosphor plate in this way, the stimulable phosphor plate is not directly fixed on the conveyor, but is attached to the conveyor via a stage. Alternatively, the stimulable phosphor plate may be directly fixed to a conveyor and sub-scanning may be performed by moving the conveyor. You can do it like this. When obtaining sub-scanning by moving the conveyor, set the interval between the image recording section and the image reading section to be different from the phosphor plate mounting pitch. For example, after the conveyor movement for sub-scanning is completed, The reading conveyor may be moved to circulate the phosphor plate and the next stimulable phosphor plate may be moved to the image recording section, so that image recording is carried out temporally offset from image reading. In addition, when it is desired to perform image recording and image reading simultaneously in parallel to improve image processing speed, it is possible to perform slit exposure on the moving stimulable phosphor plate while the sub-scanning conveyor is moving. The radiographic image may be recorded using the following method.
In addition, there is one conveyor for moving the stimulable phosphor plate.
It is not limited to books, but if it is something that can be automatically transferred between stimulable phosphor plates, several phosphor plates can be used, and the stimulable phosphor plates are finally transferred through several conveyors. The phosphor plate may also be cycled. If you use several conveyors like this,
For example, if the reading speed is extremely slow compared to the recording speed, multiple image reading sections may be provided for one image recording section, and each of these multiple image reading sections may have a It is also possible to increase the reading speed by connecting a conveyor and supplying the stimulable phosphor plates to each image reading section in parallel. Furthermore, when transferring stimulable phosphor plates between multiple conveyors as described above, it is possible to connect the two conveyors via a stage where the stimulable phosphor plates are temporarily stored. Conveniently, removal of a defective stimulable phosphor plate or addition of a new stimulable phosphor plate can be carried out at this stage without stopping the apparatus.

In the first embodiment described above, since the stimulable phosphor plate 2 is fixed to the conveyor 1 stretched between two rollers, the stimulable phosphor plate 2 has flexibility. It must be formed so that it can be bent freely. However, in consideration of the durability of the phosphor and the formation of more precise radiographic images, it is preferable to avoid bending the stimulable phosphor plate. The second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and the fourth embodiment shown in FIG.
In a fourth embodiment, shown in Figures A and 4B, the stimulable phosphor plate is fixed on a rigid support;
The support is configured to circulate the stimulable phosphor plate without bending the stimulable phosphor plate.

Mobile medical examination vehicle 1 of the second embodiment shown in FIG.
50, four stimulable phosphor plates 102 are used in a radiographic image information recording/reading device 120 mounted on a car 140, and each stimulable phosphor plate 102 is attached to each side of a quadrangular prism-shaped turret 101. Fixed on top. A rotating member 101b such as a sprocket wheel is fixed to the support shaft 101a of the turret 101, and this rotating member 101b
The driving force of the drive device 103 is transmitted via a driving force transmitting member 103a such as a chain.
A drive device 103 rotates the turret 101 by 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow in the figure. A radiation source 105 is located opposite one side of the turret 101, and an excitation light source 107, a light deflector 108, and a photodetector 1 are located near the opposite side.
09, a light transmission means 110 is provided. Further, an erasing light source 111 is provided at a position facing an adjacent side surface of the turret on the rotationally upstream side of the turret with respect to the side surface of the turret facing the radiation source 105 . The radiation source 105 and excitation light source 10 described above
7 and other parts arranged around the turret 101 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The device shown in FIG. 2 differs from the device shown in FIG. 1 in the means for fixing and circulating the stimulable phosphor plate, but like the device shown in FIG. Source 105 is turned on to accumulate and record transmitted radiation images of subject pair 106 on stimulable phosphor plate 102 . The stimulable phosphor plate 102 on which the radiation image has been stored and recorded is exposed to the optical deflector 10 when the turret 101 is stopped one after another.
8. Stop at a position facing the photodetector 109 etc. Here, the stimulable phosphor plate 102 is scanned by the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 107, and the stimulable phosphor plate 102 emits stimulated light. The photodetector 109 that photoelectrically reads this stimulated luminescence light outputs an electrical image signal carrying a radiation image signal. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, it is difficult to sub-scan the excitation light by rotating the turret 101, so other sub-scanning methods such as those described above are used. The stimulable phosphor plate 102 on which the image has been read is irradiated by the erasing light source 111 the next time the turret 101 is stopped, the remaining radiation energy is erased, and the plate is reused for recording radiographic images.

In FIG. 2, no processing is performed on one of the four stages on which the turret 101 rotates, but the position of this stage is not limited to the position shown in FIG. Therefore, it is also possible to form a device in which, for example, three phosphor plates are fixed to a triangular prism-shaped turret. Furthermore, if it takes time to erase the stimulable phosphor plate 102, two stages for erasing may be provided.

Note that the electrical image signal output from the detector 109 can be processed in various ways in exactly the same manner as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the processing of this image signal and the equipment mounted on the vehicle 140 for this purpose will not be redundantly explained (the same applies hereinafter).

The number of stimulable phosphor plates fixed to the support is not limited to three in the first embodiment and four in the second embodiment described above, but can be set variously. It is not necessarily necessary to separate the zone where images are erased from the zone where images are recorded or the zone where images are read. For example, in the mobile medical examination vehicle 250 of the third embodiment shown in FIG.
Radiographic image information recording/reading device 220 loaded on
A plate-shaped support 201 that is rotated by 180 degrees around a drive shaft 203 is used, and the stimulable phosphor plate 2
02 is attached to each surface of this support body 201, two in total. A radiation source 205 is placed on the support 201 so as to face one stimulable phosphor plate 202a on the other stimulable phosphor plate 202a.
An excitation light source 207, a light deflector 208, a photodetector 209, and a light transmission means 210 are arranged at positions facing the light deflector 2b.
08, the photodetector 209 and the like are arranged to face the stimulable phosphor plate 202b. The support body 201 is rotated by 180 degrees by rotating the drive shaft 203, and image recording and image reading are repeated on each of the stimulable phosphor plates 202a and 202b. The light is turned off while this is being performed, and after image reading is completed, the light is turned on for a predetermined period of time to erase the image. After the erasing light source is turned off, the support body 201 is rotated,
Movement of the stimulable phosphor plates 202a,b takes place. When using a plate-shaped support as described above, it is of course possible to fix the stimulable phosphor plate to only one surface of the support. However, in such a case, it is impossible to perform image recording and image reading in parallel at the same time, so the image processing speed inevitably decreases. In the third embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the phosphor plate cleaning means such as the cleaning roller used in the first embodiment is not particularly provided. A self-propelled phosphor plate cleaning roller or the like may be provided that runs while sweeping the surface of the stimulable phosphor plate after erasing is completed.

In the three embodiments described above, all the supports for fixing the stimulable phosphor plate are rotatably moved, but the supports may be moved by other methods, such as reciprocating movement. It may be done. In the mobile examination vehicle 350 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a plate-shaped support 301 is used for the radiation image information recording/reading device 320 loaded on the automobile 340. is loaded on the rail 304, and for example drives a pinion gear that engages with a rack on the rail 304 side to constitute a rack and pinion mechanism.
3, it is possible to reciprocate along the rail 304. Two stimulable phosphor plates 302a and 302b are fixed on the support 301, and one radiation source 305 is provided at the center of the rail 304, on the side facing the stimulable phosphor plate 302a. ing.
Excitation light source 307, optical deflector 308, photodetector 30
9. One set of image reading sections each comprising a light transmitting means 310 is arranged on each side of the radiation source 305. Inside this image reading section is an erasing light source 31.
1 is provided, and each image reading unit and the radiation source 305 are separated by a light shielding plate 313.
A cleaning roller 312 is disposed outside of the light shielding plate 313 at a position close to the light shielding plates 313 . Support 3
01 is reciprocated on the rail 304 by the drive device 303 to the position shown in FIG. 4A and the fourth
Alternate the positions shown in Figure B. Support body 301
When is set to the position shown in Figure 4A,
An image is recorded on the stimulable phosphor plate 302a on the left side of the figure, and an image is read from the stimulable phosphor plate 302b on the right side of the figure. The sub-scanning in image reading may be performed by moving the excitation light irradiation system and the photostimulation light reading system, as described above, or may be performed by using the movement of the support 301. After image reading is completed, the erasing light source 311 is turned on for a certain period of time to erase the image. At this time, since the light from the erasing light source 311 is blocked by the light shielding plate 313, the image recorded on the other stimulable phosphor plate 302a will not be erased. After the image erasing is completed, the support 301 is moved to the left in the figure, but at this time the cleaning roller 31
2 is lowered from the illustrated exit position to a position where it contacts the stimulable phosphor plate 302b, cleaning the surface of the stimulable phosphor plate 302b being moved. After the cleaning roller 312 passes the stimulable phosphor plate 302b, it is returned to its original exit position. When the support body 301 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 4B, an image is read from the stimulable phosphor plate 302a on the left side of the figure where the image was recorded in the state of FIG. 4A, and the image is erased and cleaned. An image is recorded on the stimulable phosphor plate 302b on the right side of the figure. When the image reading and image recording are completed, the support body 301 is returned to the position shown in FIG. After being erased and cleaned, it becomes ready for reuse. Even when the support is moved back and forth as explained above, if high-speed image processing is not required, only one stimulable phosphor plate can be used to alternately record and read images. You may also do so.

In addition, the recording state or recording pattern of the radiation image information accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet is grasped before the reading operation, and the reading gain of the pre-electromagnetic reading means is set and an appropriate recording scale factor is determined. In order to obtain radiographic images with excellent diagnostic performance, it is preferable to set the signal processing conditions as well as the signal processing conditions. (hereinafter referred to as "pre-reading") followed by a reading operation to obtain a radiation image used for diagnosis (hereinafter referred to as "main reading").
The method and device for performing this are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 56-165112, No. 56-165113, No. 56-165114
No. 56-165115. In the present invention, such pre-reading can also be performed by separately providing a pre-reading reading section having a similar configuration upstream of the image reading section, or by using the image reading section for both pre-reading and main reading. The request to do so can be satisfied.

Above, in the first to fourth embodiments, an example was shown in which at least one stimulable phosphor plate is fixed on the support, but the support is an endless support and the stimulable phosphor is directly attached to the support. The light body layers may be stacked. For example, it is also possible to use an endless belt with a stimulable phosphor layer provided on its surface, or a rotary drum with a stimulable phosphor layer provided on its surface. Examples like this are shown below in Sections 5 and 6.
Embodiment 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the mobile medical examination vehicle 450 of this embodiment,
An endless belt-shaped recording member 4 is attached to a radiation image information recording/reading device 420 loaded on a car 440.
01 is used. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG.
On the surface of 02, a stimulable phosphor layer 403 (recording body)
It is made by laminating layers. An endless belt-shaped recording member 401 is connected to a cylindrical drive roller 404.
Similarly, three cylindrical driven rollers 405, 40
A drive roller 404, which is hooked to the roller 6, 407 and rotated by a drive device (not shown), is capable of moving in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Driven roller 40
A radiation source 408 is disposed at a position facing the recording member 401 stretched between the recording member 6 and 407. This radiation source 408 is, for example, an X-ray source, and the recording member 408 between the driven rollers 406 and 407
1 and this radiation source 408 is projected onto the recording member 401 at the above position. At a position facing the recording member 401 stretched between the driving roller 404 and the driven roller 405, there is an excitation light source 410 that emits excitation light such as a laser beam, and the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 410 is recorded. An optical deflector 411, such as a galvanometer mirror, which scans in the width direction of the member 401, and a photodetector 412, which reads stimulated luminescence light emitted by the stimulable phosphor layer 403 excited by the excitation light, are provided. ing. This photodetector 412 is, for example, a head-on type photomultiplier tube,
It is a channel plate for photoelectron amplification, etc., and photoelectrically detects the exhaustion light guided by the light transmission means 413. An erasing light source 414 is provided at a position facing the recording member 401 between the driven rollers 405 and 406. This erasing light source 414
is to emit radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor layer 403 by irradiating the stimulable phosphor layer 403 with light included in the excitation wavelength range of the phosphor. For example, JP-A-56
A tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp, a laser light source, etc. as shown in Japanese Patent No. 11392 may be arbitrarily selected and used. In addition,
The radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor layer 403 can also be released by heating the stimulable phosphor, as shown in JP-A-56-12599, for example. , the erasing light source 41
4 may be replaced with a heating means. A cylindrical cleaning roller 415 is provided at a position opposite to the driven roller 406 with the recording member 401 in between and in contact with the recording member 401 . The cleaning roller 415 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure by a drive device (not shown), and removes dirt and dust attached to the surface of the recording member 401 that moves while contacting the cleaning roller 415. If necessary, it may be formed into something that adsorbs the dirt and dust using electrostatic phenomenon.

The light transmitting means 413 includes the light transmitting means 10 shown in FIG.
A similar product can be used as is.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment having the above structure will be explained below. The recording member 401 is intermittently fed by a drive roller 404 by 1/4 of its total length. When the recording member 401 is stopped, the radiation source 4
08 is turned on, and a transmitted radiation image of the subject 409 is accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor layer 403 of the recording member 401 stretched between the driven rollers 406 and 407. The portion where the radiation image is accumulated and recorded is located between the driving roller 404 and the driven roller 405 when the recording member 401 stops one after another. The stimulable phosphor layer 403 of the recording member 401 stopped at this position is scanned by the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 410. The excitation light is scanned in the width direction of the recording member 401 by the optical deflector 411 (main scanning), and is also transmitted through the excitation light source 410, the optical deflector 411, the photodetector 412, and the optical transmission means 413.
A stage (not shown) for fixing the recording member 40
By moving in the length direction of the recording member 401, the recording member 401 is scanned in the length direction (sub-scanning). A stage that moves as described above can be easily formed using a known linear movement mechanism. When irradiated with the excitation light, the stimulable phosphor layer 403 of the recording member 401 emits stimulated light according to the image information being stored and recorded. This stimulated luminescent light is inputted to a photodetector 412 via a light transmission means 413 and photoelectrically converted, and from the photodetector 412 a radiation image corresponding to the radiation image stored and recorded in the stimulable phosphor layer 403 is detected. An electrical image signal is output. The portion of the recording member 401 where the image was read in this way is
It is located between the driven rollers 405 and 406 at the next stop. The stimulable phosphor layer 403 of the recording member 401 stopped at this position is irradiated by the erasing light source 414, and the radiation energy remaining after the reading operation and a trace amount of ²⁶⁶ Ra mixed into the stimulable phosphor layer are
It emits radiation energy caused by radiation emitted from radioactive isotopes such as or ⁴⁰ K, or by environmental radiation. Therefore, if the radiation image formed on the stimulable phosphor layer 403 is erased by radiation image recording and the device has not been used for a long time, The radiation energy based on the radiation from the radioactive isotope or the environmental radiation accumulated in the stimulable phosphor layer 403 is also released, and the stimulable phosphor layer 403 is restored to a reusable state.

Next, when the portion of the recording member 401 from which the radiographic image has been erased is sent between driven rollers 406 and 407, the surface of the recording member 401 is swept away by a cleaning roller 415 to remove fine dust on the surface of the recording member 401. , dust is removed. The recording member 401 from which the radiation image has been erased and dirt and dust have been removed in this manner is stopped between driven rollers 406 and 407 and reused for recording radiation images.

As described above, the recording member 401 is cyclically reused while being erased and cleaned by the erasing light source 414 and the cleaning roller 415. Considering a certain part on the recording member 401, this part is not connected to the recording member 4 as described above.
01 undergoes the processing of image recording, image reading, and image erasing during one rotation, but when the recording member 401 is stopped and an image is being recorded on a certain part of this recording member 401, at the same time Of course, image reading and image erasing may be performed in other parts of the recording member 401, and in this way, image recording, image reading, and image erasing processes can be performed in different parts of the recording member 401. If both are performed at the same time, the image processing speed will naturally improve.

In the above embodiment, the stimulable phosphor layer 4
03 is laminated on an endless belt-like support 402, and this support 402 is circulated so that it can be reused. Unlike when transporting, there is little risk of damage to the stimulable phosphor. The mechanism for circulating the stimulable phosphor can also be easily designed and manufactured, since it can be constructed using only an endless belt drive mechanism. In addition, since one recording member 401 is reused, a homogeneous reproduced image without variations depending on the sheet can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, sub-scanning for reading a radiation image uses an excitation light irradiation system and a photostimulation light reading system.
This is done by moving the recording member 401 while it is stopped, but on the other hand, it is possible to fix the excitation light irradiation system and the stimulating light reading system and perform sub-scanning by moving the recording member. You may also do so. In such a case, when the recording member 401 is stopped to record a radiation image, the recording member 401 is moved at a sub-scanning speed after the recording of the radiation image is completed, and reading is performed while the recording body is moving. do it. Furthermore, if the radiation image is recorded while moving the recording member 401 using, for example, slit exposure, it is possible to record and read the radiation image without stopping the recording member 401.

In the fifth embodiment described above, an endless belt-shaped recording member 401 that is flexible and can be bent freely is used, but the durability of the recording body and the formation of more precise radiographic images are limited. Considering this, it is preferable to form the recording medium to have rigidity and avoid bending it during use. FIGS. 7 and 8 show a sixth embodiment and a seventh embodiment of the present invention in which such a rigid recording medium is used. In the mobile medical examination vehicle 550 of the embodiment shown in FIG.
Radiographic image information recording/reading device 5 loaded on 40
The recording member 501 of No. 20 is formed by laminating a stimulable phosphor on the peripheral surface of a drum-shaped support. This recording member 501 has a drive shaft 50 of a drive device (not shown).
4a is transmitted through the chain 504b, and the recording member 501 is intermittently rotated in the direction of the arrow with predetermined stop periods in between. Around the drum-shaped recording member 501, a radiation source 508, an excitation light source 510, a light deflector 511, a photodetector 512, and a light transmission means 51 similar to those in the fifth embodiment are arranged.
3. Erasing light source 514, cleaning roller 51
5 is placed. The device shown in FIG. 7 is different from the device shown in FIG. 5 only in the shape of the recording member 501 and the driving method, and records a transmitted radiation image of a subject 509 by the same operation as the device shown in FIG. The recording member 501 is accumulated and recorded on a member 501, and the recording member 501 is scanned by excitation light emitted from an excitation light source 510, and an electrical image signal carrying a radiation image is transmitted to a photodetector 51.
Output from 2. Furthermore, in the mobile medical examination vehicle 650 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 603 are laminated. The recording member 601 is intermittently rotated by 1/4 rotation in the direction of the arrow by a drive shaft 604a of a drive device (not shown) and a chain 604b. An image recording zone 605 is set on the stimulable phosphor layer 603, and the stimulable phosphor layer 603 in this portion
A transmitted radiation image of a subject (not shown) is accumulated and recorded thereon by the radiation source as described above.
An image/reading zone 606 is set at a position 180 degrees apart from this image recording zone 605, and this image reading zone 606 includes an excitation light source, a scanning means such as a light deflector, a photodetector, and a light transmitting device as described above. An image reading device (not shown) consisting of means and the like is provided.
A light shielding member 6 is provided downstream of the image reading zone 606.
An erasing light source 608 surrounded by 07 is provided, and a cleaning roller 609 is provided at a position further downstream of this erasing light source 608 and upstream of the image recording zone 605. Also in the apparatus shown in FIG. 8, the recording member 601
The erasing light source 608 and the cleaning roller 60
9, it is erased and cleaned and recycled. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 8, since the stimulable phosphor layer 603 moves within one plane, the erasing light emitted from the erasing light source 608 is applied to the image recording zone 605 and the image reading zone 606. A light shielding member 607 is installed to prevent
is provided. Such a light shielding member may also be provided as necessary in the fifth and sixth embodiments in which the stimulable phosphor moves three-dimensionally.

In the seventh embodiment described above and also in the sixth embodiment described above, the recording body is formed to have rigidity and is not bent, so it has better durability and finer image quality than an endless belt-like recording body. It is excellent in terms of ease of reproduction and even production.

In the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments described above, all the endless recording bodies are moved intermittently by 1/4 rotation, but the rotation pitch is limited to the above value. Of course, this is not the case; for example, in the case of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7, the recording medium may be stretched in a triangular shape and moved intermittently in 1/3 rotation increments. Furthermore, it is not necessarily necessary to separate the zone for erasing from the zone for image recording or the zone for image reading; for example, an erasing light source may be disposed within the zone for image reading, and It is also possible to turn off the erasing light source and turn on the erasing light source to perform erasing when image reading is completed. In such a case, it is also possible to move the recording medium in 1/2 rotation increments as described above. Although it is not always necessary to clean the recording medium with a cleaning roller, by performing such cleaning, a higher quality radiation image can be obtained.

In each of the embodiments described above, a plurality of radiographic images are sequentially moved to each recording, reading, and erasing zone (in the above case where erasing is arranged in the same zone as recording or reading), , moving between those zones) recording, reading, and erasing operations are performed on each image sequentially.
It is also possible to first record a plurality of images at once, and then read or erase them at once. For example, if 10 phosphor plates are fixed to an endless belt, first record all 10 plates, then read the 10 plates at once, and then
You can erase all images at once. Regarding erasing after reading, erasing may be performed immediately after each image is read. Such a recording/reading method is useful for continuous imaging such as angiography and dynamic imaging.

As a configuration for this purpose, for example, the first
In this embodiment, phosphor plates 2 are arranged at equal intervals over the entire endless belt 1, and for operational purposes only recording is performed for one revolution of the endless belt (at this time, the reading and erasing devices are inactive). ),
Reading and erasing may be performed in the next round, or in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. year,
The recorded recording medium portion may be accumulated in this stacker portion, and then the image of this portion may be read all at once in the reading portion. Of course, in the fifth embodiment of FIG. 5, recording, reading, and erasing may be performed all at once by operation as in a modification of the first embodiment, or conversely, in the example of FIG. may be formed. Note that the above-mentioned modification of recording data all at once and then reading and erasing them all at once (erasing may be performed separately at a later time) can be adopted in any of the first to seventh embodiments. Needless to say.

All of the embodiments from the first embodiment to the seventh embodiment are of the type in which a plurality of recording bodies are used alternately or an endless recording body is circulated. A single recording body may be fixed on a plate-shaped support, and the steps of image recording, image reading, and erasing may be repeated on this recording body. Such embodiments are described below.
The eighth and ninth embodiments will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the mobile medical examination vehicle 750 of this embodiment,
A stimulable phosphor layer 70 is provided on the surface of a fixed support 701 made of a plate-shaped radiation-transparent material in a radiographic image information recording/reading device 720 mounted on an automobile 740.
A recording member 703 having two layers stacked together is used. At a position facing the support side surface of the recording member 703,
A radiation source 704 is provided. This radiation source 704 is, for example, an X-ray source, and this radiation source 70
4 and the recording member 703
A transmitted radiation image of No. 5 is projected onto a stimulable phosphor layer 702 through a support 701 made of radiation transparent material. The projected radiation image is the stimulable phosphor layer 70
The information is stored and recorded on 2. At a position facing the phosphor-side surface of the recording member 703, there is an excitation light source 706 that emits excitation light such as a laser beam, and a galvanometer that scans the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 706 in the width direction of the recording member 703. A light deflector 707 such as a meter mirror, a photodetector 708 that reads the stimulated luminescent light emitted by the stimulable phosphor layer 702 excited by the excitation light, and a light that guides the stimulated luminescent light to the photodetector 708. A transmission means 709 is provided mounted on a common stage (not shown). The photodetector 708 is, for example, a head-on type photomultiplier tube, a channel plate for photoelectron amplification, or the like, and photoelectrically detects the stimulated luminescence light introduced by the light transmission means 709.

The light transmission means 709 is the same as in the other embodiments described above. Further, an erasing light source 710 is provided at a position facing the phosphor-side surface of the recording member 703, and a cylindrical cylinder rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure by a drive device (not shown) is mounted on the above-mentioned stage. A cleaning roller 711 having a shape is mounted. The erasing light source 710 is the stimulable phosphor layer 7
02, this stimulable phosphor layer 702 is irradiated with light included in the excitation wavelength range of the phosphor.
It releases the radiation energy accumulated in the
11392, a tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp, or a laser light source may be optionally used. Note that the radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor layer 702 can also be released when the stimulable phosphor is heated, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 12599/1983. Therefore, the erasing light source 710 may be replaced with a heating means. When the cleaning roller 711 contacts the surface of the recording member 703 and rotates on the recording member 703, it removes dirt and dust attached to the surface of the stimulable phosphor layer 702 of the recording member 703. It removes the dirt and dust from the surface of the light body, and if necessary, it may be formed to attract the dirt and dust using electrostatic phenomena.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment having the above structure will be explained below. The subject 705 is the recording member 7
03 and a radiation source 704, and when the radiation source 704 is turned on, a transmitted radiation image of a subject 705 is accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor layer 702 of the recording member 703. After the recording of the radiation image is completed, the excitation light source 706 is turned on, and this excitation light source 706
The stimulable phosphor layer 7 is
02 is scanned. The excitation light is scanned in the width direction of the recording member 703 by the optical deflector 707 (main scanning), and the excitation light source 706 and the optical deflector 70
7. The recording member 703 is scanned in the vertical direction by moving the stage that fixes the photodetector 708, the light transmission means 709, and the cleaning roller 711 from the top to the bottom in the figure (sub-scanning). A stage that moves as described above can be easily formed using a known linear movement mechanism. When irradiated with the excitation light, the stimulable phosphor layer 702 emits stimulated light according to the image information stored and recorded. This stimulated luminescent light is input to a photodetector 708 via a light transmission means 709 and photoelectrically converted, and the photodetector 708 outputs an electrical image signal corresponding to the image information. When the stage is moved from above to below for the above-described sub-scanning, the cleaning roller 711 mounted on this stage is rotated. This moving cleaning roller 7
11, the surface of the stimulable phosphor layer 702 is swept to remove fine dirt and dust from the surface. When image reading is completed and the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor layer 702 is cleaned, the stage on which the light deflector 707, the photodetector 708, etc. are mounted is removed from the recording member 703 upward in the figure and placed in a standby position. returned to position. Thereafter, the erasing light source 710 is turned on for a predetermined period of time, and the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor layer 702 after the reading operation and the trace amount of ²⁶⁶ Ra mixed in the stimulable phosphor layer 702 are removed.
Radiation energy is emitted from radioactive isotopes such as ⁴⁰ K or from environmental radiation. Therefore, by recording the radiation image, the radiation image formed on the stimulable phosphor layer 702 after reading is erased, and if the device has not been used for a long time, etc. In addition, the radiation from the radioactive isotope accumulated in the stimulable phosphor layer 702 or the radiation energy caused by environmental radiation is also released, returning the stimulable phosphor layer 702 to a reusable state. Recording member 703 that has been cleaned and image erased as described above
is again used for radiographic image recording.

As described above, since the device of this embodiment does not transport the stimulable phosphor, the mechanism is extremely simple and can be easily designed and manufactured. Furthermore, since one recording medium is used repeatedly, sheet management is easy and uniform reproduced images can be obtained.

In the eighth embodiment described above, sub-scanning for reading radiation images is performed by moving the excitation light irradiation system and the stimulation light reading system with respect to the fixed recording member 703. However, on the contrary, the excitation light irradiation system and the photostimulation light reading system may be fixed to the image reading zone, and sub-scanning may be performed by moving the recording medium. In the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the sub-scanning method in which the recording medium is moved as described above is used. In the mobile medical examination vehicle 850 of this ninth embodiment, the automobile 840
Radiographic image information recording/reading device 820 loaded on
As in the eighth embodiment, a recording member 803 is used in which a stimulable phosphor layer 802 is laminated on a support 801 made of a radiation transparent material. And the same radiation source 804, excitation light source 806, and optical deflector 80 as in the ninth embodiment.
7. A photodetector 808, a light transmission means 809, an erasing light source 810, and a cleaning roller 811 are provided, but unlike the first embodiment, the excitation light source 806, light deflector 807, photodetector 808,
The light transmission means 809 is fixed and does not move. Both side edges of the recording member 803 are accommodated in grooves 813 at the center of two rails 812 extending in the vertical direction in the figure, and the recording member 803 moves in the vertical direction in the figure along these rails 812. It's becoming possible. The recording member 803 is then moved vertically in the figure by a linear moving device (not shown) such as a rack and pinion mechanism. Radiation source 804
After a transmitted radiation image of the subject 805 is recorded, excitation light is irradiated and the radiation image is read. At this time, the main scanning is performed by the optical deflector 807 as in the ninth embodiment, but the sub-scanning is performed by moving the recording member 803 from the bottom to the top in the figure by the linear movement device. It is carried out by. When the recording member 803 is moved, the rotating cleaning roller 811 comes into contact with the recording member 803, and the recording member 803 is cleaned. After image reading is completed and the recording member 803 is returned downward, the erasing light source 810
is lit, and the radiation image that has been read is erased.

In the ninth embodiment described above, the stimulable phosphor is moved for sub-scanning of image reading, but the movement of the stimulable phosphor is caused by moving the plate-shaped support. Of course, this type of moving mechanism can be formed more easily than a mechanism that transports sheet-like stimulable phosphors one by one.

In the eighth and ninth embodiments described above, the stimulable phosphor is laminated on a support made of a radiation-transparent material, and is placed on the opposite side of the radiation source across the support. However, it is not necessary to form the recording body in this way.
For example, when a stimulable phosphor plate is laminated on a support made of a radiation-opaque material and is placed facing a radiation source, the excitation light irradiation system and photostimulation The reading system may be moved to the vicinity of the recording medium. In addition, if the support is transparent to excitation light and stimulated luminescence, a radiation source may be provided at a position facing the phosphor side surface, and a reading device may be placed at a position facing the support side surface. Needless to say.

As explained above, the radiation image information recording/reading device of the above embodiment repeatedly uses only one recording medium, so if the quality of the reproduced image deteriorates, the currently used recording medium can be replaced with a new one. All you have to do is replace it with another one, and quality control of the recording medium is extremely easy.

In the eighth and ninth embodiments, after the relative movement between the phosphor and the image reading section for sub-scanning is completed for one screen, they are returned to their original positions and the above-mentioned relative movement is completed. This reversal movement is repeated when moving from one fluorophore to the next in other embodiments in which multiple fluorophores are mounted on a support. This applies to the movement of

As explained in detail above, in the mobile medical examination vehicle of the present invention, the recording body that stores and records radiation image information is formed so that it can be circulated and reused within the vehicle, so handling of the recording body is no longer necessary and the imaging work is facilitated. ,
Moreover, since there is no need to stack many large stimulable phosphor sheets, the medical examination processing capacity is significantly increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the invention.
Figures A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a part of the embodiment of Figure 5. A side view, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the seventh embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the eighth embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a ninth embodiment of the present invention. 1...Conveyor, 2,102,202,302
...Storage phosphor plate, 402,602,701,
801...Support, 403,603,702,8
02...Storage phosphor layer, 401,501,60
1,703,803...recording member, 3,404...
...Drive roller, 5, 105, 205, 305, 4
08,508,704,804...radiation source,
6,106,306,409,509,705,
805...Subject, 7,107,207,30
7,410,510,706,806...excitation light source, 8,108,208,308,411,51
1,707,807...Optical deflector, 9,109,
209,309,412,512,708,80
8...Photodetector, 11,111,211,31
1,414,514,608,710,810...
...Erasing light source, 10, 110, 210, 310,
413,513,709,809...light transmission means, 20,120,220,320,420,5
20,620,720,820...Radiation image information recording/reading device, 30...Image signal recording device, 4
0,140,240,340,440,540,
640,740,840...Car, 50,15
0,250,350,450,550,650,
750,850...Mobile medical examination vehicle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A support, a recording body comprising a stimulable phosphor layer fixed on the support and capable of accumulatively recording at least one radiation image, and irradiating the recording body with radiation through a subject. an image recording unit that accumulates and records a radiographic image of the subject on the recording medium; an excitation light source that emits excitation light that scans the recording medium on which the radiation image is accumulated; and a recording medium that is scanned by the excitation light. an image reading section having a photoelectric reading means for reading the stimulated luminescence light emitted from the image signal to obtain an image signal; an erasing means for emitting residual radiation energy on the recording body; and an erasing means for releasing the residual radiation energy on the recording body;
A mobile medical examination vehicle comprising a radiographic image information recording/reading device mounted on a vehicle, which includes a means for circulatingly moving the image reading section and the image erasing section. 2 a support, a recording body fixed on the support and consisting of a stimulable phosphor layer capable of accumulatively recording at least one radiation image; by irradiating this recording body with radiation through a subject, an image recording unit that accumulates and records a radiographic image of a subject; an excitation light source that emits excitation light that scans a recording medium on which the radiographic image is accumulated; an image reading section having a photoelectric reading means for reading emitted light and obtaining an image signal; an erasing means for emitting residual radiation energy; and an erasing means for discharging residual radiation energy;
A mobile medical examination vehicle comprising: a radiographic image information recording/reading device comprising a means for circulatingly moving the image reading section and the image erasing section; and an image signal recording device for recording the image signal. . 3 a support, a recording body fixed on this support and consisting of a stimulable phosphor layer capable of accumulatively recording at least one radiation image; an image recording unit that accumulates and records a radiographic image of a subject; an excitation light source that emits excitation light that scans a recording medium on which the radiographic image is accumulated; an image reading section having a photoelectric reading means for reading emitted light and obtaining an image signal; an erasing means for emitting residual radiation energy; and an erasing means for discharging residual radiation energy;
A radiographic image information recording/reading device comprising a means for circulatingly moving the image reading section and the image erasing section relative to the image reading section and a reproducing device for reproducing a radiographic image from the image signal are mounted on a car. Medical examination car.